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Here in Northern Wisconsin, winter arrived late in 2023, but just in the nick of time for the arrival of 2024.
With that in mind, I'm highlighting a Great song of the '60s, that became a Great Song again in the '80s! (The lyrics fit nicely with the winter of 2023-24!)
In late 1966, Simon and Garfunkel released "A Hazy Shade of Winter:" a stand-alone single (which was later added to their album "Bookends"). It was quite a bit different than their other hits up to then--mostly because it was a hard-edged, up-tempo track. Record World Magazine summed it up quite nicely by calling it "Poetry in Rock Motion."
In early 1967, the song peaked at #13 on Billboard's Hot 100, and #11 in Canada--definitely "Great Song" territory.
Twenty years later, The Bangles were asked to record a song for the "Less Than Zero" film soundtrack. They chose "A Hazy Shade of Winter," which they had actually been performing in concert since 1983. The recording was also a departure of sorts for the group, as lead vocals were shared by everyone, as opposed to just one soloist.
In 1987, when their high-octane Rock & Roll version was released as a single from the "Less Than Zero" soundtrack, it just missed the #1 slot on the Hot 100, coming in at #2...and in Canada, it reached #3.
(Note: This was also a stand-alone single that didn't appear on an album until The Bangles' Greatest Hits compilation in 1990.)
In recent years, The Bangles version has been featured on a number of TV series, including "Stranger Things, "Lucifer," and "Paper Girls."
"A Hazy Shade of Winter:" a Great Song of 1967 by Simon & Garfunkel...and again 20 years later by The Bangles
Bangles:
Simon & Garfunkel:
Tomorrow: Leo says More.
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